Hooda consolidates hold in Cong amid dissent

ALL is not well in the Haryana Congress with the appointment of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Haryana, who will eventually become the Leader of the Opposition, and Rao Narendra Singh, a former health minister, named as President of the Haryana Congress.

- HARPREET BAJWA @ Chandigarh

Hooda has once again consolidated his hold over the state unit of the party, but voices of dissent are starting to emerge in the faction-ridden grand old party. Senior Congress leader and former minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav has questioned the appointment of Rao as chief of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee.

Sources said detractors may view this as marginalisation of the anti-Hooda camp, which comprises Sirsa Member of Parliament Kumari Selja, former Union minister Birender Singh, and Congress general secretary and MP Randeep Singh Surjewala.